Rotary motor



W. L. McFARLAND.

ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, |918.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ATTGRNEV W. MCFARLAND.

ROTARYMOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY s, |918.

W f W. .0 u QM b 7W/MV ma m 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

AVV

W. L. MCFARLAND.

ROTARY MOTOR.

-APPLICATION FILED MAY a, I9I8.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

SHEETS-SHEET 3- e. mmm

WILLIAM L. MGFARLAND, OF FAIRFIELD, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Iatent. i Patented Aug 17, 1920.

Application filed Hay 8. 1918. Serial No. 233.271.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. MGFAR- LAND, acitiz'en of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of Wayne and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotar Motors, of which the following is a spec' cation.

This invention relates to rotary motors or engines, the object in view being to produce a prime mover of the rotary type in which a practically continuous shock is imparted to the engine shaft and vibration and weight reduced to a minimum, thereby adapting the motor particularly for use in connection with automobiles and aircraft of all kinds.

A further object of the invention is to roduce a motor of the class described in which a plurality of working strokes or impulses are obtained 'at each of several different'points during each revolution of the engine shaft, thereby increasing the power efficiency of the engine without increasing the size and weight of the same.

With the above land other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved motor.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof looking toward the intake.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the motor.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section through the same on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

The improved motor comprises a central rotary engine shaft 1 which is journaled in bearings 2 located centrally of the Water jacketed heads 3 or a stationary or nonrotary casing designated generally at A and comprising in addition to the heads 3 a generally cylindrical or peripheral wall 4'wh1ch is provided at its opposite ends with circumferential fianges 5 secured to the heads 3 by cap screws or bolts 6 as shown.

Fast on the shaft 1 within the casing A is a rotor 7 having a plurality of longitudinally and radially extending recesses 8 therein, in each of which is mounted a slidable vane or wing 9 movable in a substantially I radial path and pressed outwardly by means vane 9 is also provided with a detachable wear plate 13 secured in place by screws 14 or the equivalent thereof, said wear plate being renewable when required, and the outer edge thereof working against the inner peripheral wall of the caslng.

The casing A is formed with a circular series of combustion chambers 15, the major portion of .the outer wall of which is concentric to the periphery of the rotor 7. Toward the farther end of each combustion chamber 15, the outer wall thereof converges toward the periphery of the rotor as shown at 16 in order to press 'the adjacent wing or vane 9 into the respective'recess 8 of the rotor, overcoming the tension of the springs 10. Adjacent to the constricted end of each combustion chamber 15 there is arranged a swinging valve 17, the same being mounted upon a pin 18, the axis of which is parallel 4to the axis of the engine shaft 1. Adjacent to its free end, each valve 17 has a concave face 19 which bears against and conforms in curvature to the periphery of the rotor 7. Just beyond each valve 17, the casingv 8 is formed with an internal compression chamber 20 having a discharge passage or slot 21 which leads in the direction of the adjacent combustion chamber 15. Throughout a greater portion of the movement of the rotor 7, the latter cuts off communcation between each compression chamber and the adjacent combustion chamber but, at a certain time, one of a series of recesses, or ports 22 in the periphery of the rotor opens up communication between each compression chamber and the adjacent combustion chamber, permitting the fluid compressed inthe chamber 20 to fiow quickly into the adjoining combustion chamber 15 between the respective vane or wing 9 and a fixed abutment surface or shoulder 23 constituting the end wall of the adjacent combustion chamber',

I all as clearly shown in Fig 4. Communica- 25. As shown in the drawings,-there are three combustion chambers 15 and three compression chambers 2O arranged to be thrown intermittently into communication with the respective combustion chambers. As the mix ture is compressed ahead of one of the wings o r vanes 9, it is forced past the adjacent valve 17 into the next compression chamber 20. The casing A is formed in one of the headsthereof with exhaust ports 26 and in the other head thereof with intake ports 27, the number of intake ports 27', corresponding with the number of combustion chambers. Each exhaust port 26 is arranged slightly in advance of the respective intake port 27 so that exhaust is effected before a fresh charge is taken into the combustion chamber, the adjacent vane or wing 9 first passing the exhaust port and then the intake port. As soon as the exhaust port and valve are uncovered by the vane 9, the hot exhaust gases rush out through the exhaust port causing a partial vacuum in the chamber 15, followed by an inrush of a fresh charge through the intake port and valve to lill said chamber due to such partial vacuum. j

One of the heads 3 of the casing is formed with a circular series of openings 28 in each of which is inserted the tubular cage 29 of an intake valve 30, shown as ofl the automatic type, the same being held against its seat formed in the inner end of the cage 29 by means of a spring 31 allowin the valve to open inwardly.

he other head of the casing is formed with a circular series of openings 32 in each of which is arranged an outwardly opening exhaust valve 33 held against its seat 34 by means o f va spring 35. The stem of each valve 33 passes through a valve guide 36 which is clamped in place by means of a retaining member 37 secured by fastening means 38 to the adjacent head of the casing as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Surrounding the peripheral wall 4 of the casing A and supported by the peripheries of the flanges 5 is a thin metal water jacket or shell 9 which is secured to the flanges 5 and if desired the heads 3 by any suitable fasteningmeans. This makes a light weight water jacket `which has an enlarged nozzle 40 and an outlet nozzle 41 located respectively at the bottom and top of the casing eral water jacket by means of arcuate ports 44. Angle iron supporting feet 45 are .secured to the lower portion of the stationary casing of the engine by the same cap screws 6 which fasten theheads 3 of the casing to the flanges 5 of the wall 4 of said casing. A curved intake manifold 46 connects with the intake ports 27 of the engine, and a similarly formed exhaust manifold 47 communicates with all of the exhaust'ports 27 of the engine. The intake manifold 46 is shown as having a separate carbureter inlet nozzle 48 and air inlet nozzle 49.

The spark plugs 25 have connected thereto wires 50 which lead to a commutator 51, one of the elements 52 of which may be turned manually by means of a lever 53 to advance and retard the spark, causingv earlier or later ignition in each or all of the combustion chambers of the engine.

To operate the engine, the rotor is turned by means of the engine shaft to the right, until the vanes or wings of the rotor pass the inlet valves. Then the rotor is turned by the same means in a reverse direction against compression until the charges in the combustion chambers are ignited and' exploded. This forces the vanes to the right, affecting three impulses, one in leach of the combustlon chambers. As the engine turns over, fresh charges are drawn into the combustion chambers and compressed ahead of the vanes, burned gases being forced by said vanes out through the exhaust ports. As the recesses in the rotor register with vthe compression and combustion chambers construction described eliminates all heavyspecial frame work and base construction, avoids the use of a larger number of vanes or wings and the wear and friction incident thereto, overcomes the necessity of forming the major portion of each combustion chamber in the rotor, does away with 4the expensive troublesome and heavy cast iron water jackets, and insures better combustion by leading the fresh mixture through warm channels maintained in a heated condition by the contiguous relation thereof to the body of the engine.

The weight of the motor may be carefully balanced by careful designing and in view of the fact that the power is exerted at equal intervals and always in the same direction, vibration is reduced to a minimum and the necessity of employing a fly wheel is avoided. The engine is of simple const'ruction, may be easily and cheaply manufactured and Will be found highly valuable in automobile and aircraft practice, as the engine may be operated in a vertical or horizontal position or at various angles.

I claim l. In a rotary engine, the combination which intermittently place the compression y and combustion chambers in communication.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary engine shaft, a rotor fast thereon and having a plurality of vanes each movable in substantially radial direction, a non-rotary rotor casing formed With a plurality of internal combustion chambers elongated in a circuinferential direction, and also having internal compression chambers which are cut off from communication with the respective combustion chambers during the major portion of the rotative movement of the rotor, the casing also having intake and exhaust ports in direct communication with said combustion chambers, the rotor having ports in its periphery which intermittently place the compression and combustion chambers in communication, and pivotally mounted compression trap valves arranged between contiguous compression and combustion chambers.

3. In a rotary engine, vthe combination of a rotary engine shaft, a rotor fast thereon and having a plurality of vanes each movable in a substantially radial direction, a non-rotary rotor casing formed with a plurality of internal combustion chambels elongated in a circumferential direction, and also having internal compression chambers which are cut off from communication with the respective combustion chambers during the major portion of the rotative movement of the rotor, the casing also having intake exhaust ports in directcommunication with said combustion chambers, the rotor having ports iu its periphery which intermittently place the compression and combustion chambers in communication, and pivotally mounted compression trap valves arranged between contiguous compression and combustion chambers, the outer walls of the combustion chambers converging toward said compression tap valves and compression chambers.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary engine shaft, a rotor fast thereon and having a plurality of vanes each movable in a substantially radial direction, a non-rotary rotor casing formed with a plurality of internal combustion chambers elongated in a circumferential direction, and also having internal compression chambers which are cut off from communication with the respective combustion chambers during the major portion of the rotative movement of the rotor, the casing also having intake and exhaust ports in direct communication with said combustion chambers, and means for intermittently opening communication between each compression chamber and the adjacent combustion chamber.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary engine shaft` a rotor fast thereon and having a plurality of vanes each movable in a substantially `adial. direction, a non-rotary rotor casing formed with a plurality of internal combustion chambers elongated in a circumferential direction, and also having internal compression chambers which are cut off from communication with the respective combustion chambers during the major portion of the rotative movement of the rotor, the casing also having intake and exhaust ports in direct communication with said combustion chambers, the rotor having ports in its periphery which intermittently place the compression and combustion chambers in communication, a circular series of intake valves in one head of such casing and a corresponding series of exhaust valves in the other head of such casing.

6. In a rot-ary engine, the combination of a ,rotary engine shaft, a rotor fast thereon and having a plurality of vanes each movable in a substantially radial direction, and a non-rotary rotor casing formed with a plurality ot' internal combustion chambers elongated in a circumferential direction, and also having internal compression chambers which are cut off from communication with the respective combustion chambers during the major portion of the rotative movement of the rotor, the casing also having intake and exhaust ports in direct communication with said combustion chambers, the rotor having ports in its periphery which intermittently place the compression and combustion chambers in communication, the casing being further formed with spark plug chambers in open communication with the receiving ends of the respective combustion chambers.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

W ILLIAM L. MCFARLAND. 

